


A Moment To Rest

by fallingnights



Series: We're In The Endgame Now. [5]
Category: Iron Man (Movies), Marvel Cinematic Universe, The Avengers (Marvel Movies), The Avengers (Marvel) - All Media Types
Genre: Avengers: Endgame (Movie), Avengers: Endgame (Movie) Spoilers, BAMF Pepper Potts, BAMF Tony Stark, Character Study, F/M, Natasha Romanov Is Not A Robot, Natasha Romanov Is a Good Bro, Parent Pepper Potts, Parent Tony Stark, Post-Avengers: Endgame (Movie), Protective Natasha Romanov, Temporary Character Death
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2019-04-28
Updated: 2019-04-28
Packaged: 2020-02-09 11:19:29
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,347
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/18637087
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/fallingnights/pseuds/fallingnights
Summary: Tony Stark died a hero, but he gets a second chance





	A Moment To Rest

**Author's Note:**

> Hello, Freinds!! Endgame fucked me up so I decided to write a little self indulgent fix it because fuck the last 20 mins of that movie. Hope you enjoy!

“I am Iron Man.” Tony Stark stared into the eyes of the thing that had haunted him for so long; the thing that chased him in his nightmares; the thing that took away Peter and half the population. 

He snapped his fingers. 

The power of the gauntlet was like anything he felt power. Agony coarsed his body and crashed with the ecstasy of unlimited power filling his brain. He could do anything and he chose to do what Thanos did to them.

As soon as he did, agony replaced every other sense. 

Anything it takes, he thought. Tony always knew it would come to this. Somewhere in his heart and his mind he knew he wouldn’t make it out alive and he was finally okay with that. He was finally the man who had everything: a wife, a child, a life. It is coming to end but he had it. He didn't waste his life, this wouldn't be a waste of his life.

He felt himself get thrown back against rubble. His entire right side burned his vision started to edge black. Rhodey rushed up to him and Tony saw Peter swing up in front of him. 

“We won, Mr. Stark." Peter cheered, moving over to him. "We won." He cheers cracked as Peter saw Tony. Tony didn't --couldn't-- respond. His eyes couldn't even move to face him. "Oh, god. Please don't go." Peter cried. "Mr. Stark, Tony, please don't go." Tony continued to stare as Rhodey gently pulled Peter away. 

"Hey, Tony." Pepper whispered, placing a gentle hand against her chest 

"Pep." He tired to say. Pepper asked Friday for his vitals and Tony tried to look away. 

"Tony, look at me." Her voice was steady. "We're going to be okay. You can rest now. Morgan and I are going to be okay." Tony moved his hand on top of Pepper’s and let out a breath. The arc reactor flickered and his hand slowly started to drop from hers. "We love you." 

The blue light went out and Pepper screamed. A gut wrenching, anguished scream echoed through the silence of battlefield. She wrapped her arms around him, leaned into his chest and sobbed. 

Peter took a step back and covered his mouth with his hands. He choked back painful sobs and leaned into Rhodey. Tears ran silently down his face as he held. Everyone watched in a shocked silence as Earth's Greatest Defender laid dead.  
*****  
"Hey Tony." A voice said from above him. The blinding light cleared and he recognized the redhead immediately. 

"Natasha." He said, blinking his eyes. Tony became more conscience of his surroundings and realized he was laying in water. "Hey." She reached out a hand and he grabbed it, completely aware of the lack of burning pain in his arm. Natasha pulled him up and he glanced around.He glanced up and down her before pulling her into a tight, desperate hug. 

“Did we win?” She muttered into his shoulder. Natasha was pretty sure of the answer but needed it to be confirmed. “Did we get everybody back? Did we get all the stones?”

“Yes,” Tony breathed, tears welling up in his eyes. “We got them. It was all worth it.” Tony felt Natasha smile.

“I knew it would be.” She pulled away and looked at him. “What happened to you, Tony?” He looked down at his right hand which was unburnt and intact. . 

“The gauntlet. We got everybody back and Thanos brought his armies. The gauntlet destroyed them and him.”

“You know, I never apologized to you.” Tony blinked. 

“Natasha, everything that happened doesn’t matter anymore.”

“It does. When I first met you, I thought you were egotistical, narcissistic, heartless. I said you wouldn’t make a good Avenger, but Tony, you were the best of us all.” Tony went to speak but Natasha cut him off.

“You were willing to do anything to protect the world. The wormhole, Ultron, the accords, this. You knew what to do and we didn’t listen to you and I’m sorry.” Tears were welling in her eyes and Tony was floored. 

“Well said, Natalia Romanova.” They snapped their heads to the women that appeared in front of them. Tony tensed up and Natasha ready herself in a fighting position. The women wore an all black hooded dress that separated into separate, almost sentient, pieces of fabric at the bottom. 

“You have done so much for the Universe, Anthony Stark. You are the one that saved the Universe and gave it a second chance at survival. It is so that I offer you a chance as well." 

"What?"

"I will send you back to your body. I will heal the most critical of your injuries but the rest of your survival is up to you." 

"Are you saying you can bring me back to them?" Pepper, Rhodey, Peter, Happy, Morgan. Tony had been fully prepared to die, he knew he wouldn't make it out of this alive but now her had the chance. 

"Yes," The women said. 

“Wait, what about Natasha? She’s done just as much as me. She sacrificed herself for the soul stone.” 

“That is exactly the reason she cannot go back. The sacrifice to obtain the soul stone is one that cannot be reversed." 

"I can't leave-." Natasha grabbed his shoulder. 

"You can and you must, Tony. You have a whole family waiting for you." God, he could see them again but Nat, he couldn't leave her. 

"Nat, I can't leave you here alone." 

"We both knew what we were sacrificing, Tony. I'm okay with this. You, Steve, Bruce, Clint are my family and I'm willing to do anything for my family. I know you are too." Tony pulled her into a tight hug.

"I'm sorry," Tony whispered. 

"It's okay," She muttered, pulling away from him. "You need to go." Natasha gave a small smile as she pushed him gently towards the women. 

"Thank you." He smiled, tears rolling slowly down his face. Tony turned to face the women.

"Do you choose to be sent back?" 

"Yes. God, yes."  
*****  
The funeral was a private affair. It was at the house Tony built Pepper and Morgan, away from public eye. After the service they All proceed to the back of the house to the lake. All the Avengers were there. Happy and Rhodey stood together, eyes downcast. May stood quietly next to Peter, a firm comforting hand on his shoulder and Harley stood behind them. Nick, Carol and Maria stood at the front if the house. At the head of it all was Pepper, holding Morgan tight as they placed a wreath of flowers in the lake. 

Tears rolled quietly down Pepper's face she set the Arc Reactor down in the center of it. PROOF THAT TONY STARK HAS A HEART WAS carved around the center. She looked at Morgan and together they sent it to float away in the lake. 

Pepper opened her mouth to speak when a voice broke through the silence. 

"I know I said no more surprises." Everybody turned to face the voice and saw Tony leaning against the door frame of the house. He was wearing the red tux that she had picked out for him and still had burns covering his entire right side. "But I thought you'd be ok with this one." Pepper took a step forward before running towards him and throwing her arms around him. 

"I'm sorry." Tony muttered, tears soaking Peppers blouse.

"I thought I actually lost you this time." Pepper whispered at the same time, tears soaking Tony's jacket. 

"Dad?" Morgan asked, hesitantly stepping up behind Pepper. "Mom said you were gone." Tony smiled and he and Pepper knelt down in front of her. 

He pulled her gently into his arms alongside Pepper and whispered, "I'm not gone and I won't be for a long time." 

"I love you 3000." Morgan whispered into his shoulder. They held each other for what for as long they could. 

"I love you both so much." Tony said. 

He had been a hero and he could finally rest.


End file.
